Best Vocal Chain

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If you’re new to Sage Audio, we’ve been providing industry-leading audio engineering services and education for over two decades and created this channel to help you make professional songs.

[@iamzackknight]

This is truly a unique channel on KZbin . Appreciate the tips

[@sageaudio]

Thanks Zack Knight! Glad you're enjoying the channel! SageAudio.com

[@alphakingsrecords]

Yes so unique and very teachable

[@ParadigmOne-ky2rv]

man, guides like this cannot be free. This is really gold. Really best tutorial ever seen for me - other tutorials are so complicated for me. Thanks from the bottom of the heart

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Great to hear that this one was helpful for you! SageAudio.com

[@WBCStudio.]

From the bottom of whose heart?

[@englewoodmusic]

I agree. Though its almost like the rest of the music community straight up doesn't want you to learn the basics plainly like this so you have to go to somebody... lol

[@Flashback_Jack]

Don't tempt them, man!

[@matrixate]

Inflator is applying Waveshaping and soft-clipping the input signals which, I believe, adds even order harmonics. Off the top of my head, that's what I remember. The compression you're hearing is the "filling" out of the signal with the dominant harmonics of the fundamental. This wave-shaping tool is considered an industry "secret." Melda's free Waves Shaper tool has an identical effect but you have to dial in shape and intensity manually. This video will give everybody superior results!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching this one and describing the inflator! I've heard about how it combines soft-knee compression, and harmonic distortion to fill the sound, but for some reason this doesn't seem to be everything it does. I'll look into how it uses wave-shaping! Thanks! SageAudio.com

[@aviatedviewssound4798]

@@sageaudio it doesn't add color but increase the color who's already in it.

[@lazwid7879]

@@sageaudio sir how did you EQ the reverb on send?

[@charliemuskrat]

@@lazwid7879 it might just be the plugin or chaining. Idk I haven’t watched the video yet lol

[@christhescientist]

@@lazwid7879 Just put your EQ plugin after the reverb plugin on that send. So load up your reverb, dial in your effects you want, then just place the separate EQ plugin after the reverb. Thus giving you an EQ'd reverb, that's how he did it in this video.

[@tccan3783]

No lie this tutorial stepped up my vocals like 10 times. Thank y'all so much.

[@emmerikito]

Finally, a real pro giving you real advices on mixing and mastering! Thank You Sageaudio!

[@sageaudio]

Awesome glad you enjoy the channel! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@iamzackknight]

I will say though I prefer to add parallel compression to the vocal

[@sageaudio]

That's a good technique for vocals - thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@deepakpanneerselvam2099]

I have been learning a lot of things for audio production from youtube. This channel is the best when compared with what I have learner from other channels.❤️

[@sageaudio]

That's great to hear Deepak! Thanks so much for watching! SageAudio.com

[@JohanDaniel]

This channel better blow up by the end of this month!! Great info!!👍👍

[@sageaudio]

Hey Johan! Thanks for watching - we're hoping it will! SageAudio.com

[@starsandguitars2050]

Wow. Just wow. Beautifully presented.

[@mahmut1055]

THANK YOU!!!! you actually guide your viewers through soft, unlike so videos that rush the whole tNice tutorialng or talk too fast.

[@lortakeover2129]

Thanks this what I been asking for. The best plugins for vocals

[@sageaudio]

Hey LOR Takeover! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@BretBourquin]

Thanks for this! I enjoyed the parallel tuning part...I have tended to lean towards a less subtle approach. I definitely want to experiment more with this technique.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Bret! Thanks for watching - glad to hear you enjoyed the video! Hope your techniques work well for your mixes! SageAudio.com

[@3lackwoodmusic]

Fantastic content. Love the tools you're using man!!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Jeff! Thanks for watching! Glad you liked the video! SageAudio.com

[@uglyfingers624]

Never used the Inflator on a vocal before. I'm going to try that on this evenings mix. Great tips bro

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching this one! Hopefully you like how it sounds! SageAudio.com

[@TheJodyBlow]

Outstanding; wow!

[@eazyiam2998]

I would’ve paid for this tutorial! Thank you.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Eazyiam! Thanks for watching! Great to ear that you enjoyed the video! SageAudio.com

[@JDubthegenius]

This was Helpful !

[@pulsemusic6058]

I learned evrything i want from this channel .... Keep uploading bro❤✌

[@sageaudio]

That's great! We will! SageAudio.com

[@shaynsnyolo]

Wow thanks for this chain!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Shayn! Of course - thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@scottfaircloff9530]

so nice!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@BigJoeWalker]

Thank you so much for offering these incredible tips!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Great to hear the tips are useful to you

[@TravisRocco]

EXCELLENT! THANKS!!

[@th6792]

I thank very much. I learned many things by watching this video.

[@sageaudio]

That's great! Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@itskdn]

This is Amazing!💯

[@sageaudio]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@jeffdolan777]

Best MIX/Mastering channel ! Thanls

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you're enjoying the channel! SageAudio.com

[@Tonilandie]

Great tutorial, also great voice

[@RAHONLYFAM]

This might be the best KZbin channel ever created 🤷🏿‍♂️ Gracias

[@dmitriyguitarist9255]

Очень классное видео! Спасибо!

[@GLeemusic]

Awesome tips! Would be nice to use the MV2 after the compression to slightly bring up the details in the vocal.

[@NICUofficial]

thanks, giving me some good ideas to help record my upcoming album

[@unodinocs]

love your channel

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching our videos! SageAudio.com

[@hanib2226]

Thank you!!!!!

[@samkenny3075]

Awesome-- I'm using it

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@chike1866]

Genuine contents 👌

[@sageaudio]

Hey Brian thanks for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@realjaybino]

I love you man lol! learned a lot i appreciate you a lot my guy❤️ Supercharger is a good saturation plug as well for subtle warm saturation or distortion

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching JayBino! I'll have to check that one out! SageAudio.com

[@erickarellano997]

This is a really good blueprint. Just supplement for similar or preferred plugins. The results are still good if not great. Excellent Job!!

[@sageaudio]

You're right! A lot of these plug-ins can be replaced with the other ones that work well for you! Thanks for watching. SageAudio.com

[@eminem2000jianghua]

太实用了！感谢您这么用心的教学！

[@sageaudio]

感谢收看！希望您喜欢这个视频！ Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed the video! SageAudio.com

[@eminem2000jianghua]

@@sageaudio 我会持续关注的，并且推荐给我的学生和朋友们来一起关注你的频道！太棒了！

[@wildfyahprod]

Thank You!!!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@XLmega]

New here .... I really enjoyed the tutorial test ... I'll see everyone else ... Thanks for the mega class... Obrigado Portugal

[@sageaudio]

Hey Lucas! Thank you so much for watching really glad to hear that you enjoyed it! SageAudio.com

[@JustinSpryce]

Great tutorial👌

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Justin! SageAudio.com

[@cccccccmc]

yaaa that room emulation trick is soo cool

[@chestiitari9531]

This is the gravey sauce :) with all the plugins and chain. I also use autotune as insert but did not think to send it to reverb and delay .

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@jasonchu4400]

WOOOOOOOWWWWWWW you put the reverb on the main vocal chain subtly early on just for room emulation...NO SENDING...and then later on is the MAIN COURSE Send Reverb, the things you do in mixing blows my mind!!!

[@CHIBIXULTRA]

Sage, the parallel tune bus was eye opening. Sub'd

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@jcleivaamoros]

thank you

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@adrian.brando]

The video is so informative, wow.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it! SageAudio.com

[@adrian.brando]

@@sageaudio I appreciate it so much!

[@jerryjayduff2643]

TNice tutorials is going in my helpful tutorials playlist.

[@ACelebrationofLIFEMendoza]

Love the depth in your voice...plz do a session on this please, just very special

[@Bonzvy]

Wow! Inflator on vocals - never saw that but I will try that out. could act as a sort of low level compression

[@sageaudio]

Hey Bonzvy! Exactly! And adds some harmonic distortion is you use a negative curve setting. SageAudio.com

[@tritonemusic6999]

@@sageaudio RBass and/or MV2 by waves have a similar impact on the vox.

[@RDZionMoses]

best video

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Kartharudaiya! SageAudio.com

[@drkbrett4398]

nice

[@saviwaves5337]

i looked it up and the oxford inflator works like if you were using Rvox and Loudness Max. it's a transparent loudness maximizer plugin to be used as a master like Loudness Max, so on vocals it works like an Rvox.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Savi Waves! Thanks for the comment! Thanks for the details about the plugin and ones that its similar to! SageAudio.com

[@cabuffal0]

Great teaching video. Wish the intruduction of each knob could be longer and more detail. (ideally). I notice that you are using a lot of Fabfilter plugins instead of those vintage ones. I'm also using Oxford dynamic and RVOX on vocal. I'll try inflator. I never thought about using Vocal tuning as a FX. Very interesting idea. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see more of these kind of video in your channel. Cheers.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Kev! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! I like the RVOX - it reminds me a little of the inflator but with a more aggressive sound. Using vocal tuning as a send probably won't work for all mixes, but I liked how it sounded here! SageAudio.com

[@bvri9956]

1,000th like! Woohoo! Great job

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching and leaving a like! SageAudio.com

[@thegroove2000]

What a chain.

[@sageaudio]

It's a good one! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@johnghadimi]

Great video. Thanks for posting. Two comments/questions: Wouldn't it make sense to have some level of tuning after gating, to fully prep the vocal? Also wanted to ask your opinion on EQ before reverb and delay, to send a "clean" signal into those units. Love your tip on the mid/side eq for the reverb. That's a good one. :)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching John! It would make more sense! Especially if you're using a melodyne-esque plugin for tuning. SageAudio.com

[@SchraderBeatz]

Nice

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@fikrimono]

Good job bro.. nice explanation.. btw i need your fx transition . i hope you share it in description👍👍

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Glad you're enjoying the channel! SageAudio.com

[@vahidarba7915]

N9ce

[@rafalvarezsevilla]

waves cla76 is great on vocals, brings them right into your face

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@NickLAnderson]

🙏

[@andrewamicarelli]

Excellent video as usual! Just a bit confused about using autotune on a send... wouldn't this create some dissonance with the original vocal since it is essentially in parallel?

[@karigisla]

same question, that would leave a fixed pitch and false note singing together

[@colorcaoz]

Great video. Would be happy to know about the acoustic guitar plugin chain.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and for the suggestion! SageAudio.com

[@3lackwoodmusic]

Sorry to double post haha. I love the autotune trick! Did I see you had it sent 100% to the reverb and delay?

[@sageaudio]

No worries - glad to see you like the video! That's correct! The autotuned track was sent to the reverb and delay to help it blend in. SageAudio.com

[@Quant-Beat]

I learned to never use saturation on vocals unless they are screamingly small. I also learned to never user chorus (modulation) on vocals, might be for outworld-like styles but not for pop/EDM.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Luciano! I haven't heard that - to be honest I use whatever sounds good to my ear. Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@IAMCORNHOLIOINEEDTP]

Before and After Comparison without matching levels is always useless. Anyway nice Video!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! We've added more gain matching to our newer videos. SageAudio.com

[@elcantantejr1]

Yo usaría alguna emulación de cinta o consola en la voz para darle características analógicas, además del Saturn. Un saludo!

[@sageaudio]

That's a great idea! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! ¡Es una gran idea! ¡Gracias por mirar y dejar un comentario! SageAudio.com

[@felixftp9670]

What is the Song of this example? Its so Beautiful!

[@amaanali7029]

Hey! Great content... really helpful!🙌❤️ One doubt though- Did you send BOTH the original(not tuned) vocal and the other insert(tuned vocal ) to the reverb and delay.? or just the Tuned one? Thanks! God bless!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Amaan! I sent both to the reverb and delay to blend it in more! SageAudio.com

[@amaanali7029]

@@sageaudio Many Thanks! Appreciate your efforts a lot. God Bless! 🙌

[@user-hc6tu2ee4c]

THANKS YOU BRO

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@Kambiz.Mahdavi]

I always appreciate your efforts for your subscribers I have a question, can I use dynamic eq instead of deesser on the harsh frequencies range for mixing vocals? Because the dynamic eqs are more optional such as( threshold attack release soft knee hard knee and make up gain) Regards🌹🌹❤❤

[@Kambiz.Mahdavi]

If I'm wrong please reply your advices, in addition I use waves c6 as deesser ,vocal presets of c6 have helped me anytime I needed it

[@sageaudio]

Hey Kambiz! Thanks for watching - yes this works well! I do that sometimes myself, or I combine the two. SageAudio.com

[@Kambiz.Mahdavi]

@@sageaudio tnx for replying I always appreciate you Sage Audio

[@jasonchu4400]

NO.......................................................just Dees it properly...stop tryna use and high-end EQ tool to De es!

[@vewilli]

A real expert! But from these here used plugins I‘ve only got soothe 2. and not these musical hearing skills! 😔

[@abzee733]

Was the vocal compressed on the way in? Personally I don't think that you can achieve "the best vocal chain" without implementing at least one analog comp (cl1b / 1176) while recording or mixing. Anyways, appreciate your content al lot, thank you :)

[@artixmusic4126]

Hello, first of all, really nice video. Would it be possible to have a video on the best compressors in the market and the best way to apply them? Example: best for drums, for vocals, guitars, etc... Thank you!

[@rionvalet]

Check out their channel! They have a lot of that!

[@artixmusic4126]

@@rionvalet Will do, thanks!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Artix Music! And thanks Rion for suggesting some of our other videos :] Maybe we'll make some videos that are "best drum compressors" "best vocal compressors" etc. Thanks! SageAudio.com

[@artixmusic4126]

@@sageaudio Thank you for taking the time to reply. All the best!

[@jeriskaso2713]

Great pro content!i have all the plugins but i dont have the inflamator.what can i use instead? thank you!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Jeris! Thanks for watching! Although it's not the exact same, the MV2 would be a good substitute. SageAudio.com

[@tungochuy]

Can I ask what song are you mixing? It sounds nice

[@mrnelsonius5631]

I’ve never thought to try Inflator on a vocal track, gonna have to now :). I also like Autotune on a send, ill tend to melodyne a vocal directly first for very transparent surgical tuning, but then use some Autotune downstream because I like the color of the processing. I’ve gotten great results hard-tuning pre reverb and delays too. Put Autotune right before the send effect. Sounds super “modern” to my ears without killing the vocal performance

[@mrnelsonius5631]

Oh that’s exactly what you did!! I had the video paused towards the end 😂. Love this channel!! Keep em coming 😉🙏

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Mr Nelsonius! Great to hear you're enjoying the channel! And yep! I like doing that same this haha. SageAudio.com

[@jasonchu4400]

@@mrnelsonius5631 what are you smoking on?, Sage Audio be teaching the proper ways in which you can tune your vocals...and your over here talkin bout some "modern performance" and literally CHUCKING the Antares in the main vocals after sending it thru Melodyne.................just stop it.........it is ENOUGH Nelson...................you are not processing the vocals you have dissected it, you have dismembered it!!! now it's sounding robotic and saturated to the dome!!!

[@mrnelsonius5631]

@@jasonchu4400 I think you are confused about what I wrote. What I was describing is exactly what Sage describes towards the end of the video. I see you have preconceived notions of the “right” way to do everything in an inherently subjective craft. Good luck with it!

[@tplms]

Excellent, I use Auto-Tune Access, receiving the send from reverb and delay, only if the voice has not been tuned previously in melodyne, or even if it has been tuned, do I use Auto-Tune Access? Thanks.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@austinsummersofficial631]

Fantastic advice, except for the tuning method. I wouldn't say that's the correct way to go about it, sending it to a parallel and then to a reverb. Going in and manually pitch correcting or applying the affect is the only way to really get a proper vocal pitch corrected result.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Also, thanks for sharing your thoughts about the video! I agree, I think manually editing the notes first is the best option and is a lot more accurate. SageAudio.com

[@Ruaille]

13:30 "I synced the delay..." and the clicks.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@_maizon]

When should I add parallel compression to a vocal and when should I not?

[@PreetPawar19]

Make video on drums mixing

[@sageaudio]

Hey Beatz Proxz! Thanks for watching - we'll make that in the future! SageAudio.com

[@datadream_]

hey thanks for this - quick question, if i’m going for a “telephone” effect on my vocal, should i do the low / high cutting during the subtractive EQ phase or later on in the chain?

[@sageaudio]

I think either way would work! At the beginning would more closely emulate how a telephone affects the signal, but doing it at the end of a chain may cut out some other added frequencies introduced by some of the other processors. Try both and see which sounds best!

[@NealJohnson]

Can you do a series on using iZotope? Like Nectar, etc.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Neal! We have some of the Izotope plugins - but currently not Nectar. I'll look into them! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@vertigopulse]

Awesome video! Curious why you cut 599Hz? I know you were cleaning u p the muddiness but why that frequency? I get confused when someone wants to remove "boxiness"..... i don't understand what that even means!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Vertigopulse! It's a little hard to explain without saying "boxiness" haha. It's a frequency range that doesn't add clarity or much of value to a vocal (in most circumstances). Often these frequencies will clash with other instruments making both less discernible. One good example of the benefit of cutting these frequencies is in the album Either/Or by Elliot Smith - in every vocal (and in a lot of the instrumentation) he cuts 500Hz, making it sound smoother and making the mix feel less cluttered overall. SageAudio.com

[@vertigopulse]

@@sageaudio thank you for that insight ill hear that elliot smith and listen for it!

[@jakevichnis3445]

Other than Saturn, what would be some other saturation plugins you’d recommend for vocals? Preferably in pro tools :) Great content btw fr fr

[@sageaudio]

Softube's harmonic saturation processor is a good option! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@neuroxik]

Never heard of Seventh Heaven reverb. If I use Valhalla Room I guess I would get the same desired effect but I was wondering, since you probably have tried it, do you find the character (even if it's taste) of Seventh Heaven to suit better?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! They're both great to be honest. It's more of a preference thing - so try them both out and see what works better on the material. SageAudio.com

[@neuroxik]

@@sageaudio Thanks!

[@nashse7en]

IN SAGE WE TRUST. yoo guys, any other paid alternative for soothe 2? Does waves got anything close to it?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! At the moment I don't :/ hopefully someone comes out with an alternative soon. So far, some plugins kind of do the same thing, but never as well

[@nashse7en]

@@sageaudio thanks for the reply. In the case of the TBProaudio DSEQ3, you ever used it? Some folks told me about it as an alternative to soothe.

[@eddiecardona1161]

So question, I noticed you bused out the reverb, you put the reverb first and the eq second. I put the eq first and the reverb second. Can you explain why you did it that way ?

[@sageaudio]

No good reason! Both ways can work well! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@Octwavian]

i did not understand the point of sending the signal to a separate autotune chanel. is it only for sending the tuned vocal further to rev and delay ? if so, why not send only the tuned signals to the ambience effects ? it sounds kinda phasy when tuned and untuned vocals play at the same time.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Octavian! I did this to blend the effect in with the untuned, and to get a little bit of a creative effect - but it's personal preference! SageAudio.com

[@oceanbeats4460]

Another thing won't it be good to route all the vocals in one buss and process them once for better performance of the pc? Should it be a stereo or mono buss?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! That's an option! You'd use less CPU that way but have a little less control of the overall sound SageAudio.com

[@mariotoziomal789]

i want to start making soft and rapping i have an acer laptop. does soft soft co with good softs already?

[@homayunelyasi5562]

🙏💥🙏💥🙏👌

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@aviatedviewssound4798]

sage i don't have the weiss deesser can i just use the soothe2 instead and you're the reason i bought seaven heaven pro, also should i use the t-racks5 opto comp or the fabfillter pro - c

[@sageaudio]

Hey Jams Saint! Thanks for watching! Soothe will work! If you have the fabfilter line, their de-esser is great too. How're you liking the seventh heaven pro? Also, I'd go with the pro-c 2 but both are good options. SageAudio.com

[@aviatedviewssound4798]

@@sageaudio bro i love this reverb to death it's so smooth, lush and realistic but do you ever use a 1176 compressor into a la2a compressor.

[@aviatedviewssound4798]

@@sageaudio also try the london plate it's my favorite preset i've tested them all and this is the most smooth and clean and lush out of all.

[@bobbymarco274]

I couldn’t sit watching that video hearing that song

[@erkamau9629]

doesn't usually compression introduce more sybilant, so better insert a deesser after main compressor ?

[@ibgeezeeintheplacetobe6566]

Whe I put the auto tune as send it doubles the vocal and makes it sound all phasy Im on FL STUDIO how do you guys do it whenre it doesnt sound like that. The auto tune is 100 percent wet as well

[@MixByRek]

Did you tune the verb ? Only thing I would do different is the subtle tuning , melodyne

[@alonomusic]

Hi! Great video! one thing about the autotune thing: If you send it to autotune and hear both untuned vocal and tuned one - doesn't it give you a doubling affect / chorus style effect?

[@sageaudio]

Hey Alon! It can! If the DAW doesn't compensate for latency then small timing variations will cause a mild chorusing effect. Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@alonomusic]

@@sageaudio I did not talk about timing. I was talking about the pitch differences between the original vocal and the tuned vocal being heard together since its on send and not insert. This may result with an unwanted doubling effect.

[@MrMikeyGlasses]

@@alonomusic Agreed 100%. I'd never tune a vocal in parallel. In my eyes all tuning and timing should be finished and rendered before any mixing takes place.

[@alonomusic]

@@MrMikeyGlasses So what does the autotune send in tour video do if not parallel tuning? what is it for? I probably missed something here. Thanks anyway for your reply.

[@MrMikeyGlasses]

@@alonomusic I'm just a viewer like you. Nothing to do with Sage Audio. I was just agreeing with your point 🙂

[@shapopmusic]

How about the dubs and ad-lib? Would u make a video on it?